September 03, 2020 – General Membership Meeting

Washington-Baltimore News Guild

General Membership Meeting Minutes

Date of Meeting: September 3, 2020

This is a special meeting called for all members of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild to consider a resolution seeking to disaffiliate our union from the International Union of Police Associations.  The meeting was held via Zoom and attended by 169 members.

Meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM

Brian Nelson motioned to pass the following resolution, which was seconded by Jonathan Baran.  The motion reads as follows:

Resolution on the IUPA and Law Enforcement Within CWA

WHEREAS: Police unions have historically served as a force for racial segregation and repression of labor rights and;

WHEREAS: Police unions do not act in solidarity with the broader labor movement and;

WHEREAS: Police unions have resisted efforts of police reform, including alienating their own members who become whistleblowers and;

WHEREAS: Amid the current uprisings against police brutality police unions have become a clear target of police power and;

WHEREAS: In order to fully live up to the idea that Black Lives Matter and supporting the CWA’s Executive Board’s statement that “There is no in-between. There is no neutral option. The only real way to dismantle racism and build the working-class power we seek is for every worker to take on the struggle for justice for Black people in this country as their own and to embrace the actions that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ demands of us”

THEREFORE: We the members of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, Local 32035 call upon the AFL-CIO to disaffiliate the International Union of Police Associations from the Federation and direct its constituent State Labor Federations, Area Labor Federations, and Central Labor Councils to do the same.

ADDITIONALLY: We call upon the Communications Workers of America to separate itself from its 3,000 Law Enforcement and Correctional Officer members.

ADDITIONALLY: We call for local and state governments to divest from policing and invest in non-policing alternatives for our communities.

Elise Bryant, Vice President of WBNG Local 32035 opened the floor for discussion.  After a thorough and spirited discussion on the merits of the resolution, a vote was taken.  The motion on Resolution on the IUPA and Law Enforcement Within CWA Passed.

The results of the vote are as follows:

  • 111 members voted in favor of the resolution
  • 32 members voted against the resolution

Vice President Elise Bryant motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Dave DeJesus (Secretary).  The meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM.